For the love of a daughter
by All-music-is-beautiful
Summary: I can be manipulated only so many times, before even I love you starts to sound like a lie.


Many people have many secrets. That's the way it's always been. And sometimes even the owner of such secrets doesn't know all the ones that their mind holds. But Jade West only had one big secret. Something she'd never tell anyone. Not even Cat.

Jade sat down at the piano, running her hands along the ivory keys, subsequently chipping the black nail varnish that coated her chewed down nails. Of course, the black substance was just one of the many things that helped her keep up her 'tough' façade. She bent down and picked up a sheet of music and began to play.

_Four years old with my back to the door_

_All I could hear was the family war_

_Your selfish hands always expecting more_

_Am I your child or just a charity ward?_

_You have a hollowed out heart_

_But it's heavy in your chest_

_I try so hard to fight it_

_But it's hopeless_

_Hopeless_

_You're hopeless_

"_He's coming home now, Jade… I have to hide you… He'll be drunk… he'll hurt you again…" Jade's mother mumbled as she pulled her by the hand, gently nudging her under the stairs. "I'll let you out when he's asleep… I'm so sorry Jade… I love you…" She bent down and placed a kiss on the young girl's head. Jade pulled a calm face and nodded. "So brave for such a young one…" The door clicked shut and Jade sunk to the floor, placing her tiny head in her arms, pressing her bruised back against the solid wood door._

"_WHERE IS SHE? WHY HAVE YOU HIDDEN HER FROM ME? I'M HER FATHER! LET ME SEE HER!" Jade let out a shaky breath, willing herself not to cry. 'Mommy said be brave… Mommy said be brave…' She repeated to herself as the silent tears began to fall. The voices were getting nearer. Her mother's hysterical crying, echoed in Jade's young ears. Her mother threw herself in front of the tiny door, "No… no, please… Don't hurt her; she's your daughter… You're supposed to love her!" Suddenly the crying stopped and her mother let out a gasp. There was a long pause, filled with her father's haggard breathing. "I DO LOVE HER!" The slapping noise seemed to bounce off the walls of the tiny, under-the- stairs room that Jade sat in. But it wasn't the first time he'd hit her mother, but every time it happened, Jade was caught off guard. "LET ME SEE HER!" He bellowed. Jade couldn't take it anymore; she pressed her tiny hand to the door, and stepped into the light. And then she noticed the knife._

_Oh father,_

_Please father_

_I'd love to leave you alone_

_But I can't let you go_

_Oh father_

_Please father_

_Put the bottle down_

_For the love of a daughter_

_Oh_

Tori followed the lingering, sad tune through the hall ways, closely followed by the others. "I think it's coming from one of the practice rooms," Andre mumbled, straining his ears towards the sound. They followed him and stopped outside the door. Peering through the glass, Tori saw Jade sitting at the huge piano, black tears falling from her eyes onto the white keys.

_It's been five years_

_Since we've spoken last,_

_And you can't take back_

_What we never had_

_Oh, I can be manipulated_

_Only so many times_

_Before even I love you_

_Starts to sound like a lie_

_You have a hollowed out heart_

_But it's heavy in your chest_

_I try so hard to fight it_

_But it's hopeless,_

_Hopeless_

_You're hopeless_

"_He says he's better now Jadey, He says he won't hurt us… He says he's sorry." Jade let out a sigh, it had been her mother's naivety that had got them into this mess in the first place, "He said a lot of things Mom, but it's the things he _did_ that made us leave," Her mother looked at her puzzled, "What do you mean?" Jade took a deep breath before revealing the large scar across her stomach, "Remember this? I was four then Mom… Imagine what he could do now…" Her mother looked torn as she placed a hand on her daughters shoulder, Jade flinched and shook it off, "But, Jadey…" Suddenly Jade was furious, "STOP CALLING ME THAT!" Her mother started to shake with fear, remembering the last time a West had been shouting at her. "PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER MOM! IT'S HAPPENING!" She gestured to her stomach "IT'S HAPPENING, SO LET'S STOP PRETENDING THAT IT'S NOT! LET'S STOP PLAYING HAPPY FAMILIES… It's not working, Mom…" Jade pulled out her emotionless mask before whispering, "It was never working." _

_Oh father_

_Please father_

_I'd love to leave you alone_

_But I can't let you go_

_Oh father_

_Please father_

_Put the bottle down_

_For the love of a daughter_

The gang silently entered the room; Jade kept playing, not even noticing them. Beck moved to comfort her but Andre mouthed, 'Let her play. It's helping.'

_Don't you remember?_

_I'm your baby girl_

_How could you push me out of your world?_

_Lie to your flesh and your blood_

_Put your hands on the ones that you swore you loved_

_Don't you remember?_

_I'm your baby girl_

_How could you throw me right out of your world?_

_So young when the pain had begun_

_Now forever afraid of being loved_

"_I promise he'll behave himself, Jade… It's good for you and him to have some bonding time…" Jade disagreed, but slammed the lid of her suitcase down anyway. "He told me he loved me again last night Jade, over the phone!" Her mother's eyes lit up as she took both her daughter's hands. Jade smiled, thinly, "That's great news Mom…" The truth was, her father had been checked by social services and had passed with flying colours. Maybe her Father had changed. He'd married another woman and had a child. 'A bouncing baby boy' Jade thought sarcastically. The only suspicious thing was the fact that two years after he'd married this new woman, she'd died. But even this was barely suspicious, because she'd had cancer for months before and the post mortem had confirmed that the cancer was what killed her. _

_Oh father_

_Please father_

_I'd love to leave you alone_

_But I can't let you go_

_A week later Jade returned from her Dad's, injury free. He'd barely even talked to her, just forced her to babysit his son. Although he did say that he wanted her to attend one of the normal high schools in Hollywood and he'd made fun of her dreams, saying they were 'Ridiculous' and only happened 'Once in a blue moon'. Jade had disagreed and that had been that. Her mother had pried for details the moment she stepped through the door, but Jade dismissed her saying she needed to text Beck and catch up on sleep._

_Jade's father hadn't tried to touch her or her mother since the incident with the knife, but he did still verbally hurt Jade. But the gothic girl didn't let it affect her. Only sometimes would shy let herself cry. Only sometimes would she lock herself in the practice rooms and sing, but even after all those years she _sometimes_ still did. _

_Oh father_

_Please father_

_Put the bottle down_

_For the love of a daughter_

_For the love of a daughter_

Cat rushed forward and pulled Jade into a hug, "I'm sorry Jade." Beck stepped forward next and soon the whole gang were circling Jade in their arms. "It's okay I don't want pity, just the love of a father."

'_Someday everything will all make perfect sense. So for now, laugh at the confusion, smile through the tears and keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason.'_

**AN: Um… I never know what to say in these… The song is 'For the Love of A Daughter' by Demi Lavato. It's really good, so you should go and listen to that. And um… I hope you enjoyed it. Oh and I guess this is kinda AU 'cause Victorious is defiantly not as depressing as this, but out of all my obsessions, Jade's character fitted the song best… Although I may do one for Hermione as well… Dunno. xx **


End file.
